X-Anon
by The Middle Captain
Summary: A support group of de-powered mutants forms in the basement of a church. A group of people find comfort with each other, and learn to grow. (Obscure Characters, lots of Continuity) ONESHOT until I feel otherwise.


"Hello, my name is Maggie, and I was a mutant." The woman seems to be in her 40's, and she's got a hood on. The fucking shitty coffee in my hand and the fucking gross ass basement with the ratty chairs in circle. "I was pretty physically deformed, but thanks to a family of good samaritans I managed to escape New York during the sentinel crisis. I escaped to New Guinea, and I taught children, and protected mutants from persecution. I found out that the man who sheltered me was dying, so I returned to the US illegally to see him once more before he died, and then…" She didn't have to say it. No one had to say anything, because we all knew what the next part of the story was. M-day. The day when thousands of mutants lost their abilities or deformities. The day I died.

Feels like it anyway.

"My mutation was a barrier between me and… the rest of the world. But it WAS me, in that same way. I looked like an alien, a freak, but that was who I was, and I embraced it. I felt… special. It's who I am- was. " She's a little worked up, and the hood falls away to reveal a pretty, if a little weathered, face. "A man hit on me on the way here. It was… yeah. Anyway, that's my story, and why I'm here."

Here was a 'Shopaholic Anonymous' meeting. Not really, though. Even now, with mutants dying out, we can still generate hate, so we disguise it as something else. There's an actual shopaholics meeting upstairs, but it's scheduled the same time as ours so we can attend unmolested.. It's been about a year since M-Day, but I'd only been attending meetings for a month. I feel a hand tap my shoulder. It's Maggie. "Did you wanna go?" She's asking, 'cause I've been here a few weeks, no talking. I didn't think I needed it, going here at the recommendation of a friend. Just… not having to pretend I've always been normal is like a drug itself. Heh. Addicted to support meetings. I think I read about that somewhere.

My fingers lace themselves between each other and I inhale. My fingers smell like tobacco, but I hate the stuff. Smoking's become another coping mechanism. I stand up.

"My name is Johnny, and I was a mutant."

* * *

"I've always been a mutant, but I never thought anything about superheroes, until I was approached by a hero named Black Marvel, who gave me and some friends suits, based around some costumes Spider-Man wore while he was trying to solve a murder he'd been accused of."

Six weeks ago, my friend from LA, Mickey Musashi was in New York. She had roped me into this group called the Loners a few years back. It had all started as another support group, led by a man named Phil Urich, I think he's a villain now, and his support group was for failed heroes. I signed up. My time as-

"I was Ricochet, the others were Prodigy, Hornet, and Dusk."

-never really went anywhere, so I decided 'what the hell, might as well meet some chicks.' It didn't go well. Urich went bonkers, a character defect, so revealed by the event, the group split, and I got some… bad history dredged up.

"The first night we went out patrolling, Dusk died, in costume, after falling off a roof."

A girl named Mattie Franklin… she brings up some different bad memories, so I'll refrain from talking about her. Anyway, Mickey told me I looked like shit, and got me in touch with the people who organize these meetings, something about a message board for support group organizers, and I was roped into my first meeting with these guys.

"Dusk reappeared, undead, I dunno, and the team… We had one adventure, saving Black Marvel from hell, and then we split up. I was a part of a team out in LA a year or so later, and that didn't pan out, and I guess I tried going solo. I had a high point, meeting Luke Cage once, but I was always right behind a hero, or out of my league. I was thinking about calling it quits-"

(For the second time, first time VERY unsuccessful.)

"But then…" And I've gotten to the trail off. M-Day.

"I was… trying to stop a mugger, who had severely injured a woman. My costume had these… throwing discs, and I threw it, thinking my powers would make my aim true, but he got away."

I flex my grip. Looking at my hand, I wonder if staying in the game would have made a difference. Eddie, the Civil War, I dunno.

"I'm not Ricochet anymore, and I'm not a mutant anymore. I guess… I gotta deal."

"We'll be here for you Johnny."

"Amen."

"We gotcha back, man."

After a chorus of affirming statements, and a 'mmm-hmm' from a woman in the corner. I sit down. It's a rush, the feeling of confession, a dark pleasure. I've never been religious, but I get why catholics do this shit every sunday.

* * *

The meeting ends, and I step over to the poker table with some food on it. I eat a cookie, and I sip the rest of my terrible coffee. A hand touches me. A woman, a teenage boy, and tall man are standing behind me. The woman holds out her hand. "I'm Jaime Vanderwall, that's Raymond Keyes-" she gestures at the teen. "And he's-" She's cut off by the tall guy.

"I'm Gary Walsh." He holds out a hand. I take it, give him a firm handshake.

"Johnny Gallo."

"Nice to meet you Johnny." Jaime's talking again. "We usually go to a diner after this meeting. We were wondering if you'd come."

"Why not earlier?" The boy looks at me.

"You didn't talk earlier." He has a higher voice, but not grading. He must be around 13.

"Audio!" Jaime cuffs him on the head. "Sorry, he's a little blunt. But he's right. We usually don't invite people unless they invest. We can't afford to open up to tourists."

I guess I get what she means. Some mutants are so used to being burned, that they don't open up. The real serious look-wise usually have this attitude. I elect to change the subject.

"Audio?"

"Whoops." Jaime looks sheepish. "We're all from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, we each had a codename. I was Elsewhere, Gary was Spike, and Raymond was Audio."

"Huh. I never went to Xavier's." Gary nods.

"We know. You're about Jaime's age. She's never seen you, so you aren't an X."

"What if I had gone during a year you weren't there?" I protest. Jaime chuckles.

"Unlikely. I was a lifer."

Lifer? Oh. Her mutation was physical.

"We all were." She gestures to the group.

It's a little awkward as silence reigns for a good minute.

"So… what uh, diner did you have in mind?"

Jaime smiles.

* * *

It's delicious. Five minutes away from my new apartment, and down an alley, and this place, the Kirby Diner, is a greatly hidden gem. Jaime explained to me that it used to be, and still technically is, a mutant-friendly diner. It's very intimate, only a few tables, two booths, and a counter to order. Jaime sits down with Gary and Ray, as he insists on being called, in a booth, and I join them. I'm sitting next to Jaime, and Ray and Gary are sitting opposite us.

"Hey! KIRB!" An older guy comes out.

"What is it ya bums?"

"Four specials!" I pull out my wallet to check for cash, but Jaime pushes my hand down. "My treat. It turns out once my mutation vanished, there was a shitload of job opportunities for someone with a pretty face in this town."

"Heh."

"What? Are you sayin' I'm not pretty?"

"Uh, no! I'm just, the opposite. When I had powers, I got a real lucrative gig, being a stunt double for production companies in LA. Most money I ever made."

"Really? You worked in Tinseltown?"

"Yeah."

We talked for a long time, but eventually, I had to go, and so did everyone else. But, I came off feeling lighter. I pull out my pack of smokes. Then toss it. This might end up being a better habit.

* * *

So yeah, this is a oneshot, until I say otherwise. I might go on with it, because I just removed a story that I was working on, but for now, enjoy this short story aimed at a niche audience!

(ALL CHARACTERS OWNED BY MARVEL)

Johnny Gallo aka Ricochet is actually an interesting character, and there's actually a comic series about him in a support group called Loners. I didn't remember until after I pictured him as the main character.


End file.
